The Red Wire

My hands tremble as I reach into my defusal kit.  45 seconds remain until the IED will detonate. I cut the 2 yellow wires that control the timer but the bomb is still armed.  A thick bead of sweat trickles down the side of my face. 30 seconds. 3 red wires remain. Only one will disarm the bomb. I take out my wire cutters and carefully place them around a red wire.  20 seconds. One wrong move and the whole building will be destroyed instantly. 10 seconds. My heart is racing at a million miles an hour. 5 seconds. I squeeze the wire cutters and nothing happens.  Silence. I let out a sigh of relief and close my eyes. The darkness is calming and I feel relaxed. When I open my eyes again, my ears are ringing. A piercing pain erupts through my entire body. I look around and find myself lying in the remains of a building.